We tried using our Pro Tapes® tape to help us with the classic tie-dye tshirt craft. Did it work? You’ll be surprised! Read to find out more…
This weekend, I wanted to see if I could create the classic tie-dye tshirt craft using Pro Gaff® tape. So I got my white tshirts, some Rit® fabric dye, and three different sizes of Pro Gaff® tape to put to the test: ¼ inch, 1 inch and 2 inch.
Method #1: Classic Spiral Twist Tie-Dye
First, I tried your standard spiral dye and striping dye. Except here, I didn’t use any rubber bands – only Pro Gaff®!! For this method, pinch the center of your white shirt and twist it until you’ve reach the end, then tuck in the edges. Tightly wrap a few pieces of pre-ripped Pro Gaff® around your twisted tee.
Method #2: Scrunch & Tape Dye
Fold your shirt (or just tightly scrunch it together), then tightly bind the shirt together using Pro Gaff®. Do this repeatedly down the length of the shirt. Just leave some space between each piece of tape.
For both Methods #1 and #2, I submerged the shirts in warm water for a little more than 30 minutes, occasionally stirring. Once lifted out of water, I did notice that the tapes which were only stuck to the t-shirt fabric lost their stick and fell right off. But the areas where the tape stuck to itself (adhesive to adhesive) proved to be the most successful! I think this helped create a seal against moisture and gave the Pro Gaff® extra strength. Funny thing is… the dye even dyed the tape!!
Check out this video to see Methods #1 and #2 in Action:
Method #3: Masking Effect
The last technique I tried was a tape-mask effect. I hand ripped and cut the Pro Gaff® tape to write out the word “love” and a zig zag design. I also used tape to pinch up a few gathered areas around the bottom of the t-shirt. I tested this method out on both a canvas tote and a cotton tee shirt.
This time I did not submerge the fabrics in water, I used a squirt bottle instead. I found that it worked the best if I did not over-spray with the dye. It seems like too much dye starts to “un-stick” the adhesive.
If I were to do this method again, I would use a spray bottle instead of a squirt bottle. This way, you can have more control over the amount of dye that comes out. I believe this would be very successful as long as the fabric doesn’t absorb too much liquid too fast!
All in all, I think using Pro Gaff® for tie-dye was a success! You just have to use it the right way. And I think the shirts look awesome!! What are your thoughts? Comment below (and let us know if there’s another craft we should try to tape-ify!!)
